I think you will find that it is split 50/50 on this issue. Some haunters think that it's important to provide a family friendly environment at their attractions. They think they will have more customers that way. It's true that you won't have to turn people with little kids away with these types of shows.

We have always promoted our haunt as an intense, in your face, old school attraction. We have built up a huge fan base with our type of very scary haunt. We know that we will attract an older customer base. But because they know what to expect when they come to visit us, they look forward to seeing what new, warped ideas we come up with every year. Many of our customers come back 4 or 5 times a season. Several thousand return every year to see the new show. Many of our loyal fans post messages on our boards all year long. They ask about the new show and how it's coming along as early as February. We love our fans and will always try to give them the scariest haunt they can find.

On a scale from 1 - 10 we try to put on a 10 every year in the scare category.

We advertise that it isn't for little kids. When it got aired on the local news, everyone interviewed spoke very clearly about how it is not meant for the weak, or small children. Every time someone brings their small child, we catch them in line and tell them. A lot of them leave, but the ones that do take their kids in never make it past the first 3 rooms. I love not having it "tamed" because it allows me, myself, to create as much disturbing and gory images in someones mind as I please. It just works that way...but there are others that tame it down. To each his own I guess.

Why have a restaurant that only serves 36 ounze steaks when you could also be selling a whole lot of people hamburgers?
Last night , for some reason alot of people were bringing small children here after 10:30 at night?
Then tonight a little girl had to leave in the first room, even after we brought out the "puppy" and had her calmed down.
Ten minutes later she came back into the house and re-joined her group (family) and proceeded through the house alittle scared ocassionally but making it all the way through, giving her a feeling of accomplishment, overcoming her fears.
Maybe the Horrid-Scary murder-Houses of Blood are just really considering the economics of it all?
"Fear?" No, profit motive is all.(And nothing wrong with profit)
The time it would take to lead a few scared children through the house could also see many times that number of regular fan-customers going through the place.
I try to cater my tour to whatever kind of group is looking at me.
They all paid to get in here!
As far as "Scary" goes, everyone has different fears and phobias, some think my place is a cakewalk until they reach the bad-dream bedroom, this is optional.
Tonight a young man from half the country away kept looking around the house and saying, "This isn't real! This isn't real!"
Once contact with the customer's imagination is made anything seems possible, then the fun begins!

I can see the Guests long before they see me and I adjust to the children in group. real little kids getl ess of an "attack' If every one in the group can has statrted or finished puberty they get the full treatment.

I was going to try out an idea to give the "touchy" groups a glowstick, or some item of warning. But, turns out the group of highschool girls that didn't understand what we were talking about wanted a glow stick simply because they were "cool".

"But I don't want it to be that scary anyway! HEE HEE HEE HEEEE"

...yes you do

I guess either guides, or communication, but I gather it's smart to make a haunt thats compatable with all, or at least have that one "tame" night like I see a lot of places doing

We went 100% adult or older kids 13 up.
We had a few younger ones come through and I told my actors to treat them the same as all other patrons.
We warn parents up front and if they are willing to shell out $20 then by golly they deserve the same show.

We had alot of "bailers" and people leave, but we are merely doing our job.

The customers have the real option to blame you for their fearful reactions, people are just like that.
Almost nobody has been brought up to accept responsibility they blame everyone and everything else, of course this is the way many children are so maybe people are just trying to maintain their youthfull innocense?
"WHA! You did this to me, now you have to change my diaper!"
Of course what follows the blame-laying is their deciding no to come back again because the experience was unpleasant for them.
Fickle children. (of all ages)